Northwest Catholic Class Experiences Day of Service with Catholic Charities
Story by Scott Griffin
Freshmen from Northwest Catholic High School participated in the school’s annual Day of Service on Sept. 29, volunteering across eight community sites throughout Hartford, West Hartford and Newington.
The day of service gives ninth graders hands-on volunteer experience as they begin fulfilling the school’s graduation requirement of 45 community service hours.
Eighty-five students fanned out in groups across the area, serving at community locations including Levo International’s hydroponic farm, the Cathedral Food Pantry, the West Hartford Fire Department and two Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Hartford locations: the Limitless day program in Newington and the Institute for the Hispanic Family in Hartford.
At Limitless, one of the two-day programs operated by Catholic Charities Developmental Services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, six freshmen volunteered alongside Elizabeth Farnham, director of formation and ministry at Northwest Catholic High School.
During the morning session, students engaged in a variety of activities with program participants, including painting Halloween crafts, playing board games in the sensory room, making potpourri, assisting with vocational tasks such as cleaning and dusting, and joining in the program’s “Bloom Where Planted” nature initiative.
“It’s a day to help the students learn what it means to give back in the community, help them to experience what it means to be doing community service and helping others,” Farnham said. “And also, to experience people who are not like them, people they may not have ever had the opportunity to interact with before.”
For Jillian Webb, Catholic Charities’ senior director of Developmental Services, the positive experiences from days like this help in both directions.
“Students learned a little bit about intellectual and developmental disabilities,” Webb said. “It’s very important for the community to see what we do here, and for the individuals to start building those natural supports with people outside of Catholic Charities. … It gives them an opportunity to socialize with people that they don’t see every day and build their skills.”
Ninth grader Novi Fiaccone said visiting Limitless gave him a new perspective and maybe a career idea. “I never knew that a place like this existed until now, and it’s got me interested in a new job opportunity,” Fiaccone said. “I learned that they may look or act a little different, but they’re really just like us. They enjoy talking and hanging out, and overall, everyone’s just really cool.”
Student Anthony Baldino was also at Limitless and reflected on the connection between the work and faith. “It’s really about being a good Catholic person in general, getting yourself out there, and helping people who aren’t as fortunate as you are,” Baldino said. “I’m very thankful to have the Catholic Charities opportunity and Northwest to let me come here.”
At the Institute for the Hispanic Family in Hartford, Northwest Catholic High School President Michael Clark accompanied six students as they visited multiple programs on site. The group toured the food pantry, spent time in Early Childhood classrooms and assisted in the Hispanic Senior Center. Students helped prepare party decorations, played games, assisted kitchen staff with lunch preparations, and participated in a fitness and Latin dance class led by instructor Jeffrey Shealey.
“We got to socialize with the seniors and play various games with them,” freshman RJ Anderson said. “This Day of Service is to reach out to the community and help out wherever we can.”
The volunteer day reflects an ongoing collaboration between Northwest Catholic High School and Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Hartford.